On The Radio
by ProtegoMaximaMyHeart
Summary: One of the perks of getting shotgun is being the unofficial DJ. Tina gets her fair share of car rides with Mike.


7Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the songs used, nor Harry Potter, nor Yogurtland, nor Apple products. I took away Tina's stutter because she's so much more confident without it.

A/N: If you love Harry Potter, go listen to Ministry of Magic! Their songs are all amazing. One of their songs is in a later section of this story. I would've divided this story into chapters by song, but some of the chapters would have been really short. So…it's a really long one-shot.

The first time that Tina Cohen-Chang rode with Mike Chang, it was by pure chance. Mr. Schuester had let them out of Glee Club early one Friday afternoon because it was clear everyone was itching to get out into the sunshine. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't get a ride home from her parents since her car had broken down. She was out by the main driveway by the front of the school, calling her parents insistently, praying that they would pick up.

Mike was driving out on the driveway when he saw Tina by the flagpole. He had never talked to her since he joined Glee Club, but he knew her through the tight-knit Asian community in Lima. Rolling by the curb, he put his window down.

"Need a ride?"

Tina perked up, relieved. "Sure! Thanks!" She got in the car, buckled in and he drove off.

He rolled down all the windows. Tina loved the feeling of driving with the windows down. It made her feel free. Absentmindedly, Mike turned on the radio and made a retching song noise at the song that came on. Her eyes widened at the song and laughed.

"You have to admit, this song is catchy." She said.

"Catchy doesn't translate to good."

"I know, I know."

"I have to admit, the chorus is the best part."

"Because it's lame?"

"Because it indicates what day it is!"

They ended up singing along to it all the way to her house, even sitting in her driveway until it ended.

_It's Friday, Friday, gettin' down on Friday _(Tina made the hand dolphin out of window, pretending it swam)

_Everybody's looking forward to the weekend, weekend_

_Friday, Friday, gettin' down on Friday_

_Everybody's looking forward to the weekend, weekend_

_Partyin', partyin' (YEAH!), partyin', partyin' (YEAH!) _(They threw their hands up.)

_Fun, fun, fun, fun, looking forward to the weekend._

Mike found out that Tina lived really close to her that day, so he offered to pick her up before school from then on so that she wouldn't stress about the mess that was her car that bit the dust. The next memorable time that she hitched a ride with him was on the way back from Sectionals.

Everyone was all smiles on the bus on the way home, having won again. The good mood didn't dissipate when they got in his car. He plugged in his iPod into the jack and played a song that perfectly the happy mood. Tina's eyes lit up.

"I love this song! Mika's voice is just so unique." She exclaimed.

"He sings in falsetto, but I think it's awesome."

"Like Kurt?"

He thought back to Kurt singing Defying Gravity and how beautiful it sounded for a guy. "Yeah. Yeah, like Kurt."

_I could be brown, I could be blue, I could be violet sky, _("What does it mean to be violet sky? I have no idea!")

_I could be hurtful, I could be purple, I could be anything you like. _

_Gotta be green, gotta be mean, gotta everything more. _

_Why don't you like me? Why don't you like me? Why don't you walk out the door!_

"I love how they reference Queen!" Mike said.

"I didn't know you liked them." Tina replied, her eyebrows raised.

"Ever since we sang _Somebody to Love, _I've been listening to their music. You know, broadening my musical horizons. Their music is awesome!"

"Well, I'm glad you like them."

They did end up listening to Queen on the way to her house, headbanging to Bohemian Rhapsody, earning both odd looks and nods of approval.

Tina and Mike ended up as duet partners a second time, but at least this time, they were talking, so it wasn't as awkward. They walked out of the choir room, already excited, and they discussed multiple possible ideas for a duet song to perform in front of the Glee club.

Tina was a regular passenger in his car, and as such, had memorized his preset radio stations. She punched all the buttons over and over, rolling her eyes because there were all commercials playing. Mike chuckled at the annoyed expression on her face.

"I hate it when I can't find a station that actually plays music." She said, pouting.

"That's how we listen to it for free, remember?"

"Yeah, but does every station have to play commercials at the same time?"

"I guess so. I can just imagine the DJ's. They're probably all like, 'U mad bro?'"

"Getting their troll face on, nonetheless." Tina had learned about memes from Mike so much that they used them in regular conversation.

"Exactly."

A synthesized intro played on the radio and Tina perked up. "I know this song! Artie plays this song all the time when we hang out. Rather, his whole collection of 80's music."

"I don't recognize it. What song is this?"

"Don't You Want Me by The Human League."

"Hmmm. That doesn't sound familiar."

"I think you'll recognize it at the chorus."

The chorus played and Mike's face lit up. "I know this song! The chorus is so familiar."

Mike belted out the chorus with glee.

_Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me, ohhhhhh? Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me ohhhhh. _

Tina tried to be playful and sang her part, wiggling her eyebrows, which prompted Mike to laugh.

_I was working as a waitress at a cocktail bar, that much is true. _

_But even then, I knew I'd find a much better place, either without you._

_The five years we have had, have been such good times. I still love you _(She pointed to him, to which Mike pointed to himself in surprise.)

_But now I think it's time I live a life on my own, I guess it's just what I must do._

When the chorus rang in again, they were surprised to find that they harmonized fairly well together. The song ended and they looked at each other, knowing that they had found their song.

After they performed their song, they got a standing ovation from their fellow Glee club members. They high-fived and sat back down, more confident in their singing abilities.

The entire Glee Club decided to go to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pat 2. They drove in groups of two and three to the theater over in Columbus, since Lima was such a small town. Naturally, Tina rode with Mike and Artie. For the occasion, Mike borrows his parent's minivan so that Artie could sit comfortably. Artie wore his brother's graduation robe, a grey sweater vest and a white button down shirt underneath it and a Ravenclaw tie. Tina borrowed one of Artie's sweater vests. She also wore a white button down underneath the vest and she branded a Hufflepuff tie. Mike wore the same garb, and also wore a Ravenclaw tie.

Tina sat in the front seat and perused through his iPod. She was pleased to find a Wizard Rock playlist. She scrolled through it and found some Ministry of Magic songs.

"Do you guys like Ministry of Magic?"

"Yeah! I started listening to them a while back. They're really good." Artie replied.

"Then we can all sing this song! If only Quinn and Santana were here." Tina said, hitting play.

"Why do you say that?" Mike asked.

"We need a Gryffindor and Slytherin to sing this song!"

The intro hummed in and Artie sang his line: _I'm a Ravenclaw, I like to read books when I cast spells, they're off the freakin' hook._

_I'm a Gryffindor, I'll fight with my friends, we'll never back down and fight 'til the end._

_I'm a Slytherin, I am very rich, I'll go on a date with whoever gets the Snitch. _(They all laughed)

Tina sang. _I'm a Hufflepuff, just staying relaxed, give me drinks and friends, no feuds we got tact._

They went through the entire playlist and also discussed Harry Potter in general, having grown up with the series. After the film, they all came out of the theater simply raving about how awesome it was while drying their eyes. The girls had a stronger response, but that's not to say that the guys weren't immune. Puck had silently bawled with Rachel during The Prince's Tale. Mike dropped off Artie first, staying on the curb until he got into his house. Him and Tina discussed what was left out of the movie, but overall agreed that it was the best Harry Potter film in the entire series.

It was obvious to everyone when Artie and Tina had gotten together, and it was even more obvious when they broke up. The tension in the air had increased tenfold, with everyone almost afraid say anything. Even Rachel knew not to say a word. As if someone was trying to torture her, it was snowing lightly outside. It would prompt fun and merriment, but in this case, it only meant melancholy for Tina. Luckily, it was the start of winter break, so she didn't have to worry about running into him.

She left with Mike, who threw his arm around her shoulder, silent. They went to his car and got in. He had so many questions, but knew better. He started driving, eyes on the road.

"Can we just drive? I don't want to go home yet."

He nodded. "Do you want to go anywhere in particular?"

"Robb Park."

They drove. Tina fiddled with the radio station and sighed when Taylor Swift was singing.

"You know what I hate about Taylor Swift?"

"What?"

"How she can write a song for every possible emotion and situation a girl can go through."

Mike smiled. "She's a really good songwriter."

_Something's made your eyes go cold._

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this._

_I thought I had you figured out._

_Something's gone terribly wrong,_

_You're all I wanted._

_Come on, come one, don't leave me like this._

_I thought I had you figured out_

_Can't breathe whenever you're gone_

_Can't turn back now, I'm haunted._

He turned into the parking lot and turned off his car. There was no sound but the sound of Tina's sobs and hiccups. Mike covered her hand with his and looked at her. Her eyes had lost the usual spark that defined her.

"What happened?"

"Artie said he lompfhhsmndoy."

He knew that girls could become incoherent when distressed, but he didn't think it could be this bad. "Say that one more time."

"Artie said he-hic-loves someone else." She full on bawled, burying her head in her hands. Her back was shaking.

The one question that he dreaded asking her, but was dying to anyway, came out of his mouth with no warning. "Who?"

"B-Brittany."

His eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"I have no idea!" She wailed.

He reached across the console to hug her and she gripped him tightly. His soft strokes across her hair seemed to have calmed her down. He pulled apart to look at her.

"Forget him. He's not worth your tears."

"He was my best friend…I think he is."

"No. You are stronger than this. I believe this."

She smiled. "Thanks, Mike."

He started up his car again. "Come on. I'll take you home and we'll watch Disney movies and eat ice cream."

She giggled; a beautiful sound. "Isn't that something girls do together when they're sad?"

"You're a girl, you're sad, ergo, we're doing this."

"But you're not a girl."

"I know, but I figured you'd want someone to stay with you."

They stayed in all day, watching movie after movie. Tina had that spark in her eyes again and Mike knew that it had to stay there.

Because they liked ice cream so much, they established that every Friday, they would get fro yo at the new Yogurtland built down the street from their school. Most of the time, they resisted getting their favorite flavors and trying something new every time they went there. After paying an insanely low price for their yogurt, they sat down at their favorite table by the window and discussed the pros and cons of their new combinations of flavors and toppings. They also had a habit of people watching and had no shame feeling like creepers. Also topics of discussion were the happenings in school and in Glee club. In other words, nothing particularly titillating.

One particular Friday, Mike was driving her home and the famous piano chords to a very memorable song came on the radio. There was no need for an exclamation as she started belting. Mike knew it too no problem, so he rolled down the windows, cranked it up and sang along.

_Just a small town girl_

_Living in a lonely world_

_She took the midnight train going anywhere_

_Just a city boy_

_Born and raised in south Detroit_

_He took the midnight train going anywhere_

They took turns singing verses but sang their hearts out at the chorus

_Strangers waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Shadows searching in the night_

_Streetlights, people_

_Living just to find emotion_

_Hiding somewhere in the niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggghhhht_

And when it came to the "don't stop believing'", there was no doubt that they gave it all they got.

As usual, they sat in her driveway and waited until the song ended. They departed with a hug and Mike drove home a lot happier. Tina dropped her stuff off in her room and flopped on her bed, feeling really good about singing with him.

They were in biology together and got assigned to work on a poster board discussing and explaining in detail the importance of the mitochondria. The rest of the period was spent with the partners getting together and discussing how to go about presenting the information on their particular organelle.

"You know, we should probably go to the store and get what we need and then head over to my house and work on it. At least get started." Mike stated while heading out into the parking lot.

"That's probably a good idea. So that when we have all our information, we can just type it all out and glue it all down." Tina replied.

They went to the store and got the poster board, since they had everything else. Mike unlocked the door to to his house and they walked in, and Tina almost laughed at how similar their houses were. The layouts were mirrors of each other, but what was the same were the enormous amount family pictures all over the walls and the use of Korean décor to give the house that homey feel.

"The craft supplies are labeled in the drawers in the cabinet in the family room. Want to grab the supplies and place them on the table? I'll just grab some snacks from the kitchen." Mike called out.

"Sure thing!" Tina replied. She then noticed the iHome speakers sitting on the shelf on the wall. She plugged in her iPod and selected Daft Punk. The bass thumped and rumbled through the speakers, setting a nice atmosphere to work in. Mike walked in with two cans of soda and a bag of chips and paused at the music. He nodded.

"Nice choice! Daft Punk is great to work out to."

"Not to dance to?" She asked with a wink.

He laughed. "Nah. I mean, there's a couple, like _Rollin' and Scratchin' _and _Digital Love_, I suppose I could dance to."

_Digital Love_ came on next, so Mike plunked down the food on the table and took Tina by the hand. He taught her how to swing dance in the middle of the room. The sounds of their laughter were drowned out by Thomas Bangalter singing.

_The time is right to put my arms around you_ (Mike pulled her in closer and spun her around)_  
><em>_You're feeling right__  
><em>_You wrap your arms around too _(She put her arms around his neck and twirled around on her toes) _  
><em>_But suddenly I feel the shining sun__  
><em>_Before I knew it this dream was all gone _(They released, but he pulled her back in anyway)

They finished dancing and settled down, working on their project, flushed and not just from the dancing. Sharing a lot of smiles while researching up the different components of the mitochondria and gluing their information on the poster board, they worked into the night, taking a break to bake a pizza. They ended up getting an A on their project.

Even though the Glee club had a good record, having won sectionals and regionals two years in a row, they were still victims of being slushied, even the football players. Poor Mike was subjected to the slushie attack while walking with Tina on the way to calculus, which they had together. Unlike Tina, who learned from Rachel to pack an extra set of clothes in her locker, he had to walk around covered in ice, food coloring and corn syrup. His grumbling didn't stop even on the car ride home from school.

"You know, you get used to it after a while." Tina pointed out.

He sighed. "I don't know how all of you just put up with it after all this time. It's humiliating and it's just plain gross."

"It sucks, but being in Glee club, you just expect it. Hey, get on the freeway."

"Uh, why?" He turned to her with a wary look in his eye.

"Just do it. I'll pick the song to play." She went through her iPod and Emily Haines started singing. "This is great song to drive to on the freeway!"

_I can feel it in my bones_

_Gimme sympathy_

_After all of this is done_

_Who'd you rather be?_

_The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?_

_Oh seriously_

_You're gonna make mistakes you know._

"Get off here." She commanded. He turned off the freeway and shook his head.

"Take a left at the next light."

She continued giving him instructions until they came to a cliff that overlooked a river way down below. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. His eyes widened at all of the green surrounding him. Frankly, it was something out of a photography book.

"Where ARE we—hey where are you going?" He asked as she got out of the car.

"Come on! Live a little!" She yelled. Tina walked over to the edge of the cliff and stared down, letting the gentle breeze kiss her face. Mike walked up next to her and admired the landscape below. He looked across the way and saw an observation deck guarded by a rail.

"I like coming to this side because I feel more alone." She said out loud, answering his unspoken question.

"How did you find out about this place?"

"One day, I was having a really shitty day, you know, test scores weren't that stellar, I had a lot on my plate and Glee club was giving me a headache. So, after school, I drove and drove until I saw a sign on the freeway saying "Alum Cliffs next exit." I followed all the signs until I came here. I sat on the hood of my car and just…forgot the world. I haven't told anyone else about this place, not even Artie, because it's like a safe haven."

"So why are you telling me about this?"

"Because I figured you could make some good use out of it too."

They turned to look at the river below. Suddenly, Tina yelled at the top of her lungs into what seemed like the infinite abyss. Mike jumped almost a foot in the air at the noise. She looked at him with a smile.

"Come on. Try it! You'll feel better."

And so he yelled. To his surprise, she was right. He felt like a weight had been lifted. He let out a whoop of excitement. They sat on the hood of his car until it was almost sundown, passing the time by talking about their hopes, fears, and dreams for the future not told to anyone else before. To balance the serious mood, they also cloud-watched, looking for funny shapes in the clouds.

They drove back on the freeway while the sun was setting. With the window down and Tina's hair blowing in the wind while laughing, Mike then realized that she never looked more beautiful and that he was starting to fall for her. This didn't go by Tina. She saw the way he was looking at her while he drove. She kept her thoughts to herself. Why ruin this awesome friendship because feelings get in the way? As Summer answered Tom, Tina didn't want life to get in the way. So, she just laughed and laughed, hoping that her also growing feelings would dissipate.

It was Rachel's idea. The Glee club had become fairly tightknit, even to the point that everyone sat together at lunch, forgetting the stares of their classmates. She decided to extend this friendship to outside the halls of McKinley High School with a movie night at her house in the basement which "had a simply impeccable sound system," according to her.

Mike picked Tina up on the way and their jaws dropped when they drove up to her house. It was at least three stories with elements of Romantic Gothic architecture, setting it far apart from the other houses in the neighborhood. Leave it to the Berry family to stick out like a sore thumb.

Tina knocked on the door and Rachel opened it with a beaming smile. Since she started dating Puck, she had relaxed a lot. This point was proven when they walked down into the basement and there were some snacks on a table and music playing quietly, with her rummaging through her cabinet for the DVDs while everyone else was talking amongst themselves. She wasn't wearing that hideous nightgown like she wore the last time she threw a get together, instead wearing a pair of black leggings and flats, a striped teal and white shirt with a long grey sweater over it with a thin brown belt cinching in around her waist. Santana, Brittany and Quinn took her shopping and gave her the wardrobe makeover that she needed.

Seeing Artie and Brittany curled up in his wheelchair gave Tina what felt like a punch in the stomach. She made her way over to talk to Mercedes, Kurt and his friend Blaine. Her and Mercedes shared knowing look at the body language of the two boys, noting that there was some serious chemistry simmering below the surface. Mike saw the change in her face when she glanced at the lovebirds, standing close to her for silent moral support.

"Hey! Everyone!" Rachel yelled. They all turned to her.

"So, our choices for movies tonight are: _No Strings Attached, Friends with Benefits, The Godfather, The Departed, How to Train Your Dragon, and Up._ What do you feel like watching? We can always watch another movie after the first one if you want."

After much deliberation, they decided on _How to Train Your Dragon _followed by _No Strings Attached._ They piled onto the squashy sectional, getting comfortable while Rachel popped in the DVD. Mike had slipped his hand into hers, having been keeping an eye on her. She couldn't keep her eyes off the lovebirds, no matter how much it hurt. He squeezed her hand and he felt her response. Only Rachel saw what happened. She turned to Puck and told him quietly. He smiled and laid a kiss on her forehead, snuggling with her for the duration of the films. Everyone stayed much later, just chatting about everything. It was around 3 in the morning when they all left.

It was quiet in the car ride on the way back to her house, with Maroon 5 quietly playing on the radio (Mike picked the station this time). It seemed to add a little bit of tension, but they ignored it.

_I don't mind spending every day_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

Mike looked to his side. Tina was looking out the window contemplatively.

_Ask her if she wants to stay a while _

_She will be loved_

_She will be loved_

Tina glanced at Mike and gave him a gentle smile.

_She will be loved_

He parked on the curb by her house and he turned off the engine and put the car in park. It was silent except for the occasional barks that resonated in the night. They hugged and pulled away to look at each other. Something snapped and Tina was pinned against the car door with his lips everywhere. They stopped and he stammered his apologies and she got out of the car, ambling to her door. Normally, she waved goodbye from her porch, but she just looked at him and went inside. Mike groaned and thumped his head against his steering wheel, thinking about what an idiotic move he made.

It was awkward for the next week. They kept the conversation light on the way home from school, and avoided any physical contact. The problem was that they were bursting to say what they've been feeling all along, but didn't really know how to put it into words. One spring afternoon, Mike was the first to bring it up. After all, he was the one to kiss her.

"About what happened last week…" He trailed off.

Tina felt her heart go into overdrive. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. That's not how I imagined kissing you was going to be at first—shit. I mean…" He turned bright red.

"You've been thinking about it too?" She didn't bother making eye contact with him. If she did, she would probably throw herself at him.

He looked at her in surprise. "Yeah? Have you?"

She locked eyes with him. "Mike, I'm just going to put it out there. I like you. A lot. And I mean like like you. I…just didn't know how to put it."

Lady Gaga suddenly popped up quietly on the current station. Mike heard it and turned it up, singing out his feelings.

_I'm on the edge of glory_

_And I'm hanging on a moment of truth_

_Out on the edge of glory _(He pointed to her, bobbing his head back and forth. Tina laughed.)

_And I'm hanging on a moment with you_

_I'm on the edge_

_The edge_

_The edge_

_The edge_

_The edge_

_The edge_

_The edge_ (He threw his head back and practically yelled it)

_I'm on the edge of glory_

_And I'm hanging on a moment with you_

_I'm on the edge with you_

The song continued to play and he looked expectantly at her, hoping to hear the right response.

"So. I like you. You like me. We're pretty much best friends. What's next?" She asked.

His only response was to kiss her at the red light.

"Well, for starters, I'll take you out on a date." Mike replied.

"I would like that. A lot. Hey, what's this song?"

He laughed and told her. It was like nothing changed. Except for the part that they were best friends who could go on dates and make out. Minor detail.


End file.
